Pristina Permanently Bans Telekom Srbija CEO From Kosovo

Kosovo’s Interior Ministry in Pristina (MUP) has issued a permanent ban on Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lucic entering Kosovo. The decision was signed on August 7 and covers not only entry but also transit and residence on the territory.

Lucic was declared persona non grata under the same act. The measure was announced by Dzeljalj Sveclja, Kosovo’s acting Interior Minister, who posted it on social media. The Telekom Srbija CEO said the same day that he had not yet received any official notice.

“Based on public statements made by Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lucic, I have decided to declare him a persona non grata in the Republic of Kosovo, with a permanent ban on entry, residence and transit through the territory of the Republic of Kosovo,” Sveclja said.

In the explanation he posted on Facebook, Sveclja stated that Lucic had used public statements to spread views aimed at undermining Kosovo’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order.

Telecommunications as the point of dispute

The ministry went a step further, claiming the Telekom CEO had publicly backed activities and policies that challenge the jurisdiction of local institutions, particularly in electronic communications and telecommunications infrastructure. Citing the Law on Foreigners, the ministry assessed his statements as a threat to public order and security.

Sveclja framed the message more broadly than a single name.

“No one may enter the territory of the Republic of Kosovo and operate or speak out from here against the constitutional order, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the minister wrote.

“We will not tolerate the promotion or support of policies that undermine the authority of our institutions and question the statehood of the Republic of Kosovo,” Sveclja said.

Why did the decision come now?

The timeline is short and dense. On August 6, Lucic visited an MTS branch in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica and announced that the company would build two new facilities by the end of the year in the municipality of Partes, near Gnjilane. Those two facilities are part of a wider plan for six facilities across Kosovo, which also includes Pasjane, Zubin Potok, Ranilug and Strpce, tied to the quality of fixed line telephony in areas where Serbs live.

“We will build six facilities. We will start with Partes, a municipality near Gnjilane, where we will build two facilities that are, in fact, a combined branch office and telecommunications site,” Lucic said.

The ban was signed the following day. The link is not a matter of interpretation, since the telecommunications sector is explicitly named in the ministry’s own explanation, meaning the investment announcement effectively became part of the grounds for the measure.

What Lucic is saying

The Telekom Srbija CEO told Tanjug he regretted the decision, if the information proves accurate, and that he would fight it through every legal means available. He added that he hoped the measure would be lifted quickly.

“Especially given that I personally pushed for the largest possible investments in that territory and for opening new jobs. Over all these years I have held the same position in public appearances regarding the conduct of the current administration, and even in my most recent remarks I said nothing new beyond undisputed facts,” Lucic told Tanjug.

The ban is not tied to a single visit or to any deadline. It is permanent, so if the six facility program continues, it will have to proceed without the company’s top executive ever setting foot on site. The branches and construction sites in Partes, Pasjane, Zubin Potok, Ranilug and Strpce are left to the people who can still enter Kosovo.

What remains unclear is how binding a decision signed under a caretaker mandate will be for a Pristina government that has yet to be formed. Sveclja signed it as acting minister, and the measure carries no expiration date.